Second Chances
by rmb151106
Summary: Takes place during episode 4.21. What happens if instead of Jess asking Rory to run away with him he decides to stay at Stars Hollow with Luke instead to fix his life? Well you'll just have to read to find out! ;
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here's my very first continuing story! Yay! So anyway, I was re-watching the Gilmore Girls episodes with Jess in them and while I was watching episode 4.21 this idea just sort of popped in my head. I know that everyone who does a rewrite of this episode usually has Rory run away with Jess when he asks her to come with him but I thought 'what would happen if he decided to stay in Star Hollow again instead to try to fix up his life with the help of Luke?' and so this was born. It starts out at the part when Jess and Luke talk after the wedding. I hope you guys enjoy! :D**

**Disclaimer: Sorry but apparently I don't own GG. Too bad.**

The moon was shining brightly through the windows of the apartment above Luke's diner as Jess Mariano moved about, grabbing his belongings and stuffing them into his old, olive green, army duffle bag. He just spent the day at Stars Hollow attending his mother, Liz's wedding. He walked her down the aisle, tried his best to stifle his laughs throughout the most ridicules wedding reception he's ever seen, and watched from afar, with a smile on his face, as his uncle Luke happily danced with Lorelai Gilmore, the woman he was in love with. As Jess watched these displays of love and happiness though he felt his heart ache as he yearned for the company of the only woman he ever and will always love. He yearned to be with Rory Gilmore, the only person who truly understood him and saw him for who he really was, so they could share lovely and happy moments of their own. Over the time he spent here he read through a book about love that Luke lent him and the words he read hit him like a ton of bricks to the gut as it finally made him realize what a complete and total jerk he's been to the only people he cared about and now all he wanted to do was to try to make things right again and fix the hearts he broke and the promises he made. He just didn't know how he was going to do this yet.

Jess moved over to the kitchen table where his books lied and started sticking them into his brown leather backpack. Just then he heard the door to the apartment swing open behind him.

"Oh, hey." Luke greeted Jess as he walked in and closed the door behind him. "You leaving?" He asked as he noticed Jess putting his things in his bags.

"Yeah, just kind of hanging around, see if I'd catch you." Jess replied looking at his uncle before he finished packing his bag.

"Good, I'm glad you did." Luke walked over to the fridge and opened it, taking out a beer. "Said goodbye to your mom?"

"Yeah, we're good. Gave her a cell phone number that's pretty permanent. Just got it. Left it for you on the fridge."

"Good." Luke said as he took a swig of his beer.

Jess tugged on the zipper of his worn out, black leather jacket, closing it as he considered what to his uncle. "I want to pay you back, all the money." Jess decided.

"You don't have to."

"I want to. And I appreciate it, everything. The money, living here."

"Well it's good to hear but I kind of knew that."

Jess shook his head and smiled. "Yeah but in a relationship," Jess grabbed his backpack and slung it over his right shoulder. "any kind of relationship, it's important to let the other person know you appreciate them so you don't create barriers that delay any hope for reciprocation."

"Think I read that somewhere."

"yep."

"You're hoping for reciprocation?" Luke asked as he looked at his nephew that he thought of as his own son. "You've had it. I'm here Jess, I'm always here."

Jess nodded his head with a smile. "Thanks." He put his hand out for a handshake. Luke took it in his hand and pulled Jess towards him giving him a hug. Jess held back tears as he patted his uncle on the back. They both smiled a little at each other once they pulled away.

"How'd it work out?" Jess asked referring to Luke's attire which was a gray suite with a white, cotton button-up shirt and a burgundy tie.

"The tie was perfect." Jess nodded in approval then turned around and headed for the door. "Hey Jess?"

"Yeah?" Jess asked moving his attention back to Luke.

"I want you to move back in with me." Luke said looking at Jess with pleading eyes.

"What?" Jess asked taken aback by his statement. "Why?"

"Why not?" Luke shrugged then sighed. "You shouldn't have to live the way you are now. Sharing a small rotten apartment with complete strangers, trying to find any kind of job you can get your hands on to help you get by. It's not right." Luke shook his head. "And believe it or not, but I miss having you around."

"Are you serious?" Jess asked as he continued to stare at his uncle, taking in everything he was saying.

"Yeah." Luke nodded with a smile. "You can stay here and help me run the diner while you work on putting your life back together. I want to help you Jess make a life for yourself. I know how much you hate accepting help from others but at least let me do this much, please."

"You sure about this uncle Luke?"

"As sure as I can be."

Jess pondered his options for a bit. This may be the chance he's looking for to prove and redeem himself and to fix all the wrong he's done. Jess sighed as he made up his mind and looked up at Luke with a smile. "Then let this day be known as the day that Jess Mariano returns to Stars Hollow."

Luke grinned as he walked towards Jess and pulled him in for another hug. "Welcome home kiddo."

"Thanks."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rory was driving home in her car from Yale as she thought over the events of this night. Dean had came earlier when she called and was able to get her out of a tight situation. When they got back to her dorm she questioned him about his marriage with Lindsay and how he was able to come to Yale so easily. He just told her that it was nothing and that Lindsay wasn't even home at the time. She just shrugged it off and they told each other good night with a hug and he left as she went to bring her belongings to her car. She had a feeling that there was something going on with Dean and it had something to do with her. She didn't know how to feel about it though.

She pondered this as she entered the small town of Stars Hollow and headed home unaware at the time that Jess Mariano, the boy she loves but is unaware of how strongly she actually loves him, has made the decision to stay at Stars Hollow.

**So there you have it, chapter 1 of my first ongoing story. I'm sorry if it's a bit short but I plan on trying to make the chapters longer from here on out. I really hate the scene with Dean and Rory (I mean, come on Dean! You're married already!) so I decided to just summarize what happened between them. I hope you don't hate me for that. Well anyway I hope you liked the first chapter. Reviews are golden! Thanks! :D**

**RB**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry about the wait for this chapter, just been busy with school and work lately and my brain seems to be moving a little bit slower then it usually does. It took me forever to figure out how I should have Rory find out that Jess is back. Well anyway here is Chapter 2 for you guys! I'm very happy and grateful for all the reviews that I've gotten, it lets me know that people are actually reading my stories and are enjoying them and that's my main reason for putting them up, for you guys to enjoy. So keep the reviews coming and I'll try my best to keep the stories going.**

**Disclaimer: Still no luck in owning Gilmore Girls, oh well.**

Rory woke up in a daze with the soft rays of the sun filtering in her room and hitting her face. She groaned as she moved her hand up to cover her eyes but found what seemed to be a sticky note stuck to her forehead. She pulled it off and flipped it around to see what it said. 'Lunch at Luke's' was written in her mom's large handwriting on the yellow post it. As Rory sat up on her bed she noticed a huge heaping of her white's lying across her bed. She lifted one up and looked at it in confusion as she tried to remember how it got there.

Rory entered Luke's that afternoon and saw Lorelai, her mom, starring strangely at Luke as he wiped down some counters. She made her way to the table that her mom was sitting at to join her.

"I can't believe you didn't wake me up." Rory complained.

"Me and what army?" Lorelai asked.

"I only have so much time off, I don't want to waste it all sleeping till noon." Rory said as she took her seat and crossed her legs.

"There was no waking you up. You were completely out of it. We're talking Ferra on Letterman." Lorelai looked towards the counter and noticed Luke making his way over to their table. "Hey." She whispered to Rory to get her attention.

"What?"

"Luke is coming over here. I want you to pay very close attention."

"To what?" Rory asked confused.

"Shhhshhhshhh!" Lorelai told Rory as Luke reached their table with a coffee pot and two large mugs in his hands.

"Coffee?" He asked as he put the mugs down.

"Oh, sure, coffee would be great. Coffee hun?" Lorelai asked her daughter then turned back to Luke. "Yeah, she'll have coffee. Thanks." She answered with a wide smile on her face.

"Okay." Luke replied as he poured the coffee into the mugs. "You want a minute?"

"Yes, a minute would be great." Luke finished up pouring their coffee then walked away. She looked towards Rory expectantly. "Well?"

"What?"

"You noticed anything?"

"Anything…" Rory asked completely confused now.

"Anything weird, anything different."

"About Luke?"

" Yeah, of course about Luke. Did you notice anything different?"

"Like what?"

"Like a vibe or an attitude. Did he look at me differently?"

"Differently then what?"

"Differently than he did."

"Differently than he did when?"

"Before."

"Before what?"

"Before, before."

"Before, before what?"

"Rory!" Lorelai said frustrated that her daughter didn't understand what she meant.

"I-How come I'm asking and you can be frustrated with me right now?"

Lorelai mumbled and gestured to Rory to follow her. Rory got up and Lorelai grabbed her hand and pulled her outside the dinner.

"Watch your damage Heather!" Rory said a little annoyed that her mother just pushed her out the door. Lorelai grabbed her hand again and pulled her to the side then turned and faced Rory.

"I think I'm dating Luke." Lorelai finally blurted out.

"What?" Rory asked in total shock.

"I'm not sure, it's just a possibility. I-I could be wrong."

"But… h-how? When?" Rory asked.

"Well, we went to his sister's wedding and it was really nice, we had a really good time. We laughed a lot and we ate, and then we danced..." Lorelai started to explain.

"Danced… how?"

"We pop-locked."

"Was it a fast dance, slow dance, group dance… ?"

"It was a slow dance… what's a group dance?"

"The Hustle. The Hora." Rory named a couple of examples.

"No Hustle. No Hora. It was a waltz. Luke can waltz."

"Luke can waltz?" Rory asked a little baffled.

"_Luke _can _waltz_." Lorelai said with a smile and wiggling of her eye brows.

"Look how you just said 'Luke can waltz'!"

"What? I was just saying I'm surprised Luke can waltz." Lorelai defended.

"That sounded more like 'I'm surprised I still have my clothes on'!" Rory pointed out.

"Oh, stop!"

"Well, what else happened?"

"Nothing. We spent the evening together, we danced, he walked me home, and then he asked me to a movie. All these things, individually, do not add up to dating. But together, I don't know… and then there was this moment, when he walked me home, where I thought… I don't know." Lorelai explained to her daughter trying to understand it all herself.

"Well did you say yes?" Rory asked.

"When?"

"To the movie, did you say yes?"

"Yes."

"That sounds like dating to me."

"Well maybe he didn't mean it as a date thing. Maybe he just needs to get out of the house and since I'm currently one of the women sitting home thinking 'If only I can find a man like Aragorn' he picked me." Lorelai tried to explain.

"O-okay, whoa! This is Luke!"

"I know."

"Our Luke. The town Luke. We see him every day, he's a part of our lives."

Lorelai nodded her head to show she's following. "I know."

"I mean everyone will know. They'll know if you're together, they'll know if you're not together."

"Ugh, I know." Lorelai said for the third time as she rubbed her temple with her hands in frustration.

"You can't just date Luke. When you are with Luke, you are _with _Luke. And if it doesn't work out then it will be really bad, for both of us. I mean, how do you feel about this? Do you want to be dating Luke?"

"Okay, look, we are getting ahead of ourselves here. I don't even know if this is what he's thinking. This could be a totally innocent situation! And then we did all of this 'What if'ing for nothing! Lets just go back in there and _see_ if anything's weird, okay?"

"Okay." Rory agreed.

"Okay." They both turned towards the diner to head back inside.

Once Rory and Lorelai sat down at their table again they froze as they saw the uncle and nephew talking just in earshot range. "Jess?" Rory said under her breath in total shock of what was right in front of her.

"Just spit it out Uncle Luke." Jess ordered Luke as they were talking at the counter unaware of the audience that just arrived and was listening on their conversation.

**So what is it that Luke and Jess are talking about? What will Rory's reaction will be? Will she stay long enough to hear the conversation? Will Rory and Jess get back together? And if they do how soon? Most if not all these questions will probably be answered in the next chapter… if I'm nice enough. Muhahahaha! Anyway, I've been wondering how soon you guys actually want them to get back together and how. I would love to hear any suggestions you guys might have. Well I hope you liked this chapter even though it didn't have much Jess in it and that it was mostly dialogue. I promise there will be more of him in the next chapter. Remember, reviews are golden! Thanks!**

**RB**


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